Music festival to honor Grandview homicide victim

The event will take place noon to 6 p.m. Aug. 25 on the lawn of Grandview Heights Public Library, 1685 W. First Ave.

Police discovered Cooke's body Aug. 11 in her Woodhill Drive townhome while performing a well-being check. Cooke had been stabbed several times.

The goal of the concert is to remember her in a positive way, said Cooke's friend and neighbor, Za Unitt, who is organizing the event.

"Jennifer was a huge lover of music and loved, loved, loved going to festivals," Unitt said. "She wouldn't want us to be wearing black and feeling sad about her. She would want us to be getting up and dancing."

A number of bands have already signed up to perform at event, which is being called the Lady of the Lake Festival.

"She really identified with Vivienne, the character from The Lady of the Lake (the Arthurian legend and DC comic) and named her daughter after the character," Unitt said.

Donations to benefit Cooke's family and her daughter will be collected at the Aug. 25 event, she said.

A small garden in Cooke's memory also will be dedicated at the library that day, Unitt said.

Cooke was a kind soul who loved and accepted everyone she met, Unitt said.

"She was so shy and almost majestic when you first met her, that you almost thought of her as a goddess," she said.

"But then you'd get to know each other and you couldn't shut her up. She was so funny and goofy," Unitt said.

"She always made everyone around her smile and laugh. She didn't want anyone to focus on the negative things in the world," she said.